Berms are commonly used in situations where the ability to construct vertically has been constrained by the inability to expand laterally at a slope that allows the desired vertical height to be attained without failure. For example, berms are often used to expand the capacity of landfills that are nearing or have reached their capacity but which do not have space to expand outward. In such situations, berms may be constructed around some or all of the landfill to increase the vertical capacity. Referring now to FIG. 1, a landfill 10 comprises a large waste-receiving recess 12 in the ground 14. The recess has a surface 16 that may or may not have a liner system in place. The waste in the landfill may comprise any material that is typically placed in a landfill, such as municipal solid waste (MSW), residential waste, industrial waste, fossil fuel combustion material, construction debris, hazardous waste and/or yard waste, etc. The recess is surrounded by an edge 18. The edge is typically substantially horizontal, but may alternatively be substantially sloped. As seen in FIG. 1, the existing accumulation of waste 20 has filled the recess 12. However, the capacity of the landfill can be increased by constructing a berm on the edge 18.
Berms often comprise a reinforced portion and backfill material. The reinforced portion comprises structural fill material with reinforcing members disposed (typically substantially horizontally) therein. These berms allow for the desired vertical height in a limited space. These berms are very expensive to construct, however, on a relative basis, as material with very tight specifications must be acquired and transported and the cost of the reinforcement itself can be prohibitive in many circumstances. Therefore what is needed is a method to construct these berms that allows for economical construction and that utilizes material that can generate the revenue necessary to cover the bulk of the cost of the entire berm while being environmentally sound and regulatory agency acceptable.